The associations of objective, behaviorally measured hunger and weight-related variables with Food Craving Inventory subscales in adults with obesity

TL;DR

This study finds that objective measures of hunger may influence food craving scores, but these scores are not linked to body weight or fat percentage in people with obesity.

Contribution

The study introduces objective hunger measurement (FAST) as a relevant factor in food craving assessments, while controlling for menstrual cycle phase.

Findings

Objective hunger (FAST) correlated with cravings for sweets and showed a trend for overall cravings.

Body weight, BMI, and body fat percentage did not correlate with any food craving subscales.

FCI scores may not reflect long-term weight gain patterns.

Abstract

The Food Craving Inventory (FCI) measures the frequency of food cravings along five dimensions: overall food cravings, cravings for sweets, cravings for high-fat food, cravings for starchy food, and cravings for fast food. Evidence of the influence of current hunger on FCI scores is equivocal and challenged by methodological limitations, including the use of self-reported hunger and the lack of control for phase of the menstrual cycle. We aimed to examine (1) the potential association of objective, behaviorally measured hunger (hours since last caloric intake; FAST) with responses on the FCI, controlling for the influence of the menstrual cycle and (2) the relationships of the FCI with weight-related measures (i.e., body mass index, BMI; body weight, BW; body fat percentage, BF) in individuals with obesity.

Thirty-two adults with obesity (BMI 30–39.9 kg/m2) were included. Subjects’ BW and BF were measured via bioelectrical impedance, and BMI was calculated. On a separate day, subjects were administered the FCI after an intended 8-h fast. For premenopausal women, this was during the second half of the follicular phase of their menstrual cycle. Linear correlations between FCI subscales and each of BW, BMI, BF and FAST were performed.

FAST correlated with cravings for sweets (r = 0.381, p = 0.034) and showed a trend for overall cravings (r = 0.331, p = 0.069). BW, BMI, and BF did not correlate with any of the FCI subscales.

Our results show that current, objective, behaviorally defined hunger (FAST) may influence FCI scores after controlling for menstrual cycle phase. However, FCI scores showed no relationship to BMI, BW, or BF, indicating that FCI scores may not reflect enduring patterns related to long-term weight gain. Future research should use objective hunger measures as covariates when interpreting FCI data and should exercise caution in treating FCI scores as indicators of long-term obesity risk.